ice cream maker recipes Easy Homemade Vanilla

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In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, and salt. If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the mixture and add the pod as well.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is steaming slightly (do not boil). Remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale.
Temper the yolks: Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream.
Return the saucepan to low heat. Cook gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (it should reach 170°F/77°C). Do not let it boil.
Remove from heat immediately. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any vanilla pod or potential cooked egg bits. If using extract instead of a bean, stir it in now.
Chill the custard base completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. The colder the base, the better the ice cream churns.
Once chilled, churn the ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually 20–30 minutes), until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
Transfer the soft ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2–4 hours to fully firm up before serving.

For an intense vanilla flavor, steep the vanilla pod in the cream mixture for 30 minutes off the heat before tempering the eggs.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the base, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes for the first 3 hours, but the texture will be less smooth.
For a richer flavor, substitute 1/4 cup of the heavy cream with sour cream or cream cheese softened to room temperature before heating.